BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) has appointed Lorenzo Bottinelli as new CEO and vice president of its Italian operations. Bottinelli has been heading the sales department of BASF Italia since 2017. As CEO, he is building on more than 20 years of experience within the company as well as bringing knowledge about the industry, especially the domestic market. He takes over from Andreas Riehemann, who has led the Italian business since 2016 – see Plasteurope.com of 30.03.2016.

The German petrochemicals giant operates 13 sites in Italy with more than 1,500 employees. BASF Italia generated sales of EUR 1.8 bn in 2019. The range of products offered from its Italian sites include catalysts, EPS sheets, polyurethanes, speciality chemicals and polymers as well as agricultural products and paints. BASF’s key production site in Italy is in Pontecchio Marconi, where additives for the plastics industry are manufactured and exported to more than 50 countries.